Thursday, October 22, 2009

So my whole restaurant idea began about 2 1/2 -3 years ago (about 10th grade). We watch a lot of Food Network in my house, and my favorite show on it is Guy Fieri’s ‘Diners Drive-ins and Dives’. After watching this show often enough I obviously started to form my own ideas of what a perfect restaurant would be like. These plans floated through my brain for weeks before I finally decided that it was my goal to open up a great little restaurant. This changed a lot for me. Before this I was planning on becoming a journalist, since that seemed to be the only reliable career I could have where I would be able to write. I will never regret this decision; I don’t think I would have been happy as a journalist.

I began taking more of the business and cooking classes in high school. In my tiny little school there wasn’t much, but it was better than if I hadn’t taken them at all. I made a really great connection with both my business and my home-ec teacher. I told them about my plans and they were both wicked supportive. I may not have been lucky enough to go to a tech school like some of my classmates here at NECI, but I don’t care. Growing up in a small town has helped shape who I am and what my plans for my restaurant are.

I know that I want a small restaurant. Bigger than a diner, though. I know that I want it to be family-friendly. I have a lot of cousins and growing up the whole family could rarely eat out together simply because the restaurants could not accommodate so many people. The food needs to have that home-cooked meal feeling to it. Just because you eat out doesn’t mean you don’t deserve comfort food!

Right now the plan is that my cousin will be the cook, since she is also attending NECI. That may change, though, since she is a baking and pastry student. I can always have some awesome baked goods at least! I have this little part of me that is just dying to have a Bed & Breakfast. So if that is in any way possible I definitely plan to have it as well. With or without the B&B, though, my restaurant will serve breakfast. All three meals are important and I just don’t understand why more restaurants don’t serve it.

Then my cousin’s boyfriend, who is so loved by everyone he is practically a part of the family, is like this alcohol EXPERT. He also wants to start a micro-brewery. Hello bartender! It just makes sense, right?

So, if you can’t tell, it’s all pretty much going to be family run. Family is important to me, always has been, always will be. The only problem I can think of is the location. Location is the most difficult part of any restaurant plan. I want it as close to home as possible. That is going to take a lot of research, hopefully I learn more about finding a good location in one of my classes.

So, those are my big plans. I also want it to be a farm-to-table restaurant. Support your local farmers! Oh, and raw milk. I can't stand store bought milk, so I definitely need to offer raw milk. Haha, I love afterthoughts.

Tuesday, October 20, 2009

I figured I would share a few things about myself for anyone who hasn’t been here before and may have decided to stop by after reading my guest post at Mrs. B’s.

When I first started this blog it was meant to be a way for me to meet and talk to other Pagans. If you read my posts you can tell that it has transformed from that to me talking about my whole life. So, about me- I am 18, I’m Pagan, I love literature, and I’m currently a freshman at the New England Culinary Institute where I am majoring in Hospitality and Restaurant Management. While here I am developing a plan for the restaurant I want to own and manage. I just realized that I haven’t actually clued any of my blog buddies in on what my restaurant plans are, so that’s a post you can all look forward to at some point soon!

My blog is really just a place for me to record where my path is taking me. I talk about what I’m learning in life, what I do (not much), and a whole bunch of random stuff that no one probably cares about. I hope if you’ve never been here before you decide to keep reading, I love finding new blogs to read.

Random Fact: Keene, NH- the biggest "city" near my hometown- had the world record for most jack-o'-lanterns carved and lit in one place, until Boston beat us in 2006.

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Just for anyone who didn't know- I'm a poetry nut. I love literature, and I'm sad that it isn't a major part of my life. But when picking a future career I decided that restaurant management was a lot more practical than anything literature related. Everyone needs to eat, less and less people care about reading.

That being said I am totally in a poetry mood and just went to blackle (just like google, but it doesn't hurt your eyes!) and typed in poetry, hoping I could find a few good poems to read to satisfy my yearning for the written word.

Luckily a decent site actually came up in my search! I will be saving http://famouspoetsandpoems.com/ in my bookmark. All my poetry books are at home, and even though I have my kindle (best invention EVER!) I don't want to have to buy the books again. I can always read Shakespeare on my kindle, it was on of the first things I bought since my copy at home is the complete works that is so heavy and impractical to read from, but I prefer reading Shakespeare out loud and my roommate/ cousin is asleep.

Now to share a couple of the poems with you.

anyone lived in a pretty how town by E. E. Cummings

anyone lived in a pretty how town(with up so floating many bells down)spring summer autumn winterhe sang his didn't he danced his did

Women and men(both little and small)cared for anyone not at allthey sowed their isn't they reaped their samesun moon stars rain

children guessed(but only a fewand down they forgot as up they grewautumn winter spring summer)that noone loved him more by more

when by now and tree by leafshe laughed his joy she cried his griefbird by snow and stir by stillanyone's any was all to her

someones married their everyoneslaughed their cryings and did their dance(sleep wake hope and then)theysaid their nevers they slept their dream

stars rain sun moon(and only the snow can begin to explainhow children are apt to forget to rememberwith up so floating many bells down)

one day anyone died i guess(and noone stooped to kiss his face)busy folk buried them side by sidelittle by little and was by was

all by all and deep by deepand more by more they dream their sleepnoone and anyone earth by aprilwish by spirit and if by yes.

Women and men(both dong and ding)summer autumn winter springreaped their sowing and went their camesun moon stars rain

A Dream Within A Dream by Edgar Allan Poe

Take this kiss upon the brow!And, in parting from you now,Thus much let me avow--You are not wrong, who deemThat my days have been a dream;Yet if hope has flown awayIn a night, or in a day,In a vision, or in none,Is it therefore the less gone?All that we see or seemIs but a dream within a dream.

I stand amid the roarOf a surf-tormented shore,And I hold within my handGrains of the golden sand--How few! yet how they creepThrough my fingers to the deep,While I weep--while I weep!O God! can I not graspThem with a tighter clasp?O God! can I not saveOne from the pitiless wave?Is all that we see or seemBut a dream within a dream?

Yes, the more abstract poems appealed to me this morning in my half awakeness. Hope you enjoyed them!

"Life is too short to wake up with regrets, so love the people who treat you right, forget about the ones who don't. Believe everything happens for a reason, and if you get a second chance, grab it with both hands; if it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it." -Unknown